Musical instrument.



No. 774,234. I PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904. J. C. DEAGAN. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 7, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

712211 60151662 Inreutor MZ% M Jlaa 6? flca gau No. 774,234. PATBNTEDNOV. 8, 1904. J. G. DEAGAN.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1903.

N0 MODEL. LSHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT Orrrcn.

JOHN CALHOUN DEAGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,234, dated November8, 19Q4.

Application filed August '7, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN CALHOUN DEAGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to musical bells and has several objects.

One object of the invention is the provision of improved means wherebymetallic clapperrods may enter into the construction of the instrument.This feature of the invention is practiced by interposing asound-dampener between the clapper-rod and a trunnion-support therefor,the sound-dampener being desirably a leather washer surrounding theclapper-shaft.

A second object of my invention is the provision of an improvedresonator in combination with the bell whereby a most effectivecollection of the sound-waves is secured and a most compact arrangementof bell and resonator is effected. To this end I preferably employ aresonator that extends longitudinally of the axis of the bell, theresonator being desirably tubular throughout the major portion of itslength. The orifice in the resonator for permitting the passage ofsoundwaves thereto is desirably secured by cutting the resonator along aline that is substantially parallel in direction to the flare of thebell, whereby the sound-waves emanating from the bell find easy andspeedy access to the resonator. The best result is secured by providingthe orifice in the resonator opposite the sound-bow, and particularlyopposite the point of impact of the clapper upon the bell.

Another feature of the invention is the pro- Vision of an improved formof musical bells whereby they may be assembled, if desired, into groupsto more effectively and satisfactorily produce chords or other selectedgroups of musical sounds. To this end the clapperrod of each bell isprovided with two strikers or clappers, one a hard sound-producingstriker and the other a soft sound-preventing Serial No. 168,613.

(No model.)

striker,which is desirably made of felt. These strikers are desirablylocated in the same plane and so act in cooperation with the bellbarrelthat when the clapper-rod is moved in one direction with respect to thebell-barrelthe sound-producing striker will impinge or strike upon themetal of the sound-bow,whereas a movement of the clapper in thealternative direction will cause the felt striker to strike thesound-bow, thereby preventing the production of sound. The bell may beso constructed that the silent striker will not only prevent theproduction of sound, but dampen the sound previously obtained by thehard striker.

In the most complete embodiment of the invention a group of bells isprovided with a common handle, and the bells are so relatively arrangedthat when they are bodily moved in one direction but one bell willsound, in another direction another bell only will sound, and so onthroughout the bells of the entire group. To this end the hard strikersof each pair of diagonally opposite bells are symmetrically disposedwith respect to each other, and the soft strikers are also symmetricallydisposed with respect to each other. For example, the hard strikers maybe upon the outside and farthest removed from the handle common to allof the bells, while the soft strikers may be arranged to strike theportions of the bells nearer to the center of the composite structure.

In one embodiment of the invention Ihave provided four bells arrangedquadrilaterally, the diagonally opposite bells of each group havingtheir clappers moving in the same plane, securing results that will beobvious from the foregoing description. In order that the clappers ofthe diagonally opposite bells may be constantly retained in the sameplane of operation, the mountings upon which said clappers,with theirrods, are pivoted are made fixed with respect to the common support forthe bells. This result is most desirably accomplished by providing anopening for each clapper-mounting that is polygonal in contour andmaking the corresponding clappermounting of corresponding cross-section.

I Will explain my invention more fully by Too reference to theaccompanyingdrawings, illustrating one of its embodiments that I prefer.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an instrument embodying the mainfeatures of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is avertical section on line 3 8 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a horizontal sectionon line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail of theclapper-bearing, and Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe diiferent views.

In the device shown a plurality of bells a a is mounted upon a commonbase plate or support 7), to the central portion of which a handle 0 issecured, the bells being desirably on one side of their support and thehandle on the other. The trunnion-bearings (Z (Z are provided each witha stem (1 of polygonal or equivalent cross-section, the base beingprovided with holes correspondingin contour to the shape of the stems,so that said trunnionbearings are maintained immovable with respect tothe base, whereby the planes of operation of the clapper-rods are fixed.The bell-barrels are desirably provided with apertures at their bases orcaps that correspond in cross-section to the stems 0, so that oneportion only of each bell is constantly struck, whereby the besttone-producing portion of the bell may always be struck. Nuts a serve tosecure the bells, clapper-mountings, and support together. The nuts maybe loosened, if desired, to give the bells required freedom forvibration. The clapper-rods f are permitted to swing by being providedwith trunnions that engage the trunnion-bearings, and as the clappersare of metal a sounddampener g is provided about a trunnion of each rod,this dampener being desirably a leather washer surrounding thecorresponding trunnion and interposed between the clapper-rod and itstrunnion-bearing.

The upper end of each clapper-rod is provided with an enlargement it,into which is inserted a hard striker 2', that may be of wood, and asoft striker it, that may be of felt, these strikers extendingtransversely to and upon opposite sides of the rod, the strikers uponeach rod being desirably in line. The hard and soft strikers of eachbell are mechanically united in this preferred way. In order that thesound-bow may continue to cause sound after being struck by the hardstriker, a buffer or check-spring Z is provided that will remove thehard striker from the bell-barrel after striking. The drawingsillustrate a group of four bells located at the corners of a square, theclapper-rods of the diagonally opposite bells operating in coincidentplanes. The soft strikers of each pair of diagonally opposite bells aresymmetrically arranged with respect to each other, as are also the hardstrikers of each pair of diagonally opposite bells, the plane containingeach pair of clapper-rods being the plane of symmetry. By

this symmetrical arrangement of the strikers of each pair of diagonallyopposite bells a motion 'in one direction will cause one bell to sound,the soft striker of the companion bell failing then to cause it tosound. A reverse motion will produce results vice versa. A movement ofthe instrument in one direction at right angles to the plane or generaldirection of the first two movements will likewise cause one of thebells of the remaining pair to sound, the companion bell remainingsilent, while a reverse movement will be accompanied by results that arevice versa. Thus the bell to be sounded may be selected withoutoperating the companion bells.

Each bell has a resonator m along its side, the axis of the bell and theaxis of the associated resonator being desirably parallel. The resonatoris desirably tubular and is chamfered or cut away at its upper portionto afford an opening a, through which the soundwaves from the bell passinto the resonator. The resonators are desirably disposed beneath thesound-bows of the bells, the cutaway or chamfered portions of theresonators permitting this association. The openings in the resonatorsare preferably directly opposite the portions of the sound-bows wherethe hard strikers hit the bell-barrel. To secure the best results, themargins about the openings in the resonators are parallel with thebell-barrels and the sound-bows thereof. While I have shown an evennumber of bells and have spoken of the symmetrical arrangement of thestrikers, it is obvious that the number of bells may be changed and thatan exact symmetrical arrangement of the strikers is not essential.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the embodiment of theinvention herein shown and described without departing from its spirit.I do not, therefore, Wish to be limited to the precise form of theinvention illustrated; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, the following:

1. In amusical instrument, the combination with four bells arranged atthe corners of a quadrilateral, the said bells being divided into twopairs, each pair comprising two diagonally opposite bells, each bell ofeach pair having a clapper-rod carrying a hard and a soft striker, thehard strikers of the bells of each pair being symmetrically arranged andthe soft strikers of each pair being symmetrically arranged,substantially as described.

' 2. In a musical instrument, the combination with four bells arrangedat the corners of a quadrilateral, the said bells being divided into twopairs each pair comprising two diagonally opposite bells, each bell ofeach pair having a pair of mechanically-united strikers,

one a soft and one a hard striker, the hard strikers of each pair beingsymmetrically arranged and the soft strikers of each pair beingsymmetrically arranged, substantially as described.

3. In a bell, the combination with the bellbarrel thereof, of aclapper-rod mounted to swing in said bell-barrel, a hard strikerprovided upon said rod, a soft striker also provided upon said rod, saidstrikers being transversely arranged with respect to the clapperrod onopposite sides thereof, substantially as described.

I. In a bell, the combination with the bellbarrel thereof, of aclapper-rod mounted to swing in said bell-barrel, a hard strikerprovided upon said rod, and a soft striker also provided upon said rodsaid strikers being opposite, substantially as described.

5. In a bell, the combination with the bellbarrel thereof, of aclapper-rod mounted to swing in said bell-barrel, a hard strikerprovided upon said rod, and a soft striker providedupon saidrod,substantially as described.

6. In amusical instrument, the combination with a pair of bells eachhaving a pair of mechanically-united strikers one a soft striker and theother a hard striker, the hard strikers being symmetrically arranged andthe soft strikers being symmetrically arranged, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a musical instrument, the combination with a pair of bells, eachhaving a clapper-rod carrying a hard and a soft striker, the hardstrikers being symmetrically arranged and the soft strikers beingsymmetrically arranged, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of July,A. D. 1903.

JOHN CALHOUN DEAGAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE L. GRAGG, CARL H. CRAWFORD.

